Umbrella-rib connection.



No. 755,500. PATENTBD MAR. 22, 1904.

J. 0. LARRABBE.

UMBRELLA RIB CONNECTION.

APPLIOATION FILED En' 20, 1908.

No. '755,500l

UNITED STATES Patented March 22, 1904.

PATENT QEEICE.

.rAMEs o. LARRABEE, .or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

p uMBRELLA-RIBCONNECTION.

`S5PECI1EIGA.TIO1\T forming part of Letters Patent No. 755,500, dated March 22, 1904.

l Application filed May 20, 1903. Serial No. 157,892. (No model.) l

T0 {ti/Z whom, t may concern:

Be it known that LJ AMES O. LARRABEE, a citizen of the United States, residing in Oakland, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement inUmbrella- Rib Connections; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the combination of umbrella-ribs and independent removable tips and means for connecting the two so that any rib may be attached or detached from the top notch without disturbing other ribs.

My invention also comprises details of construction which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure l is a side View showing part of a rib with my attachment. Fig. 2 is a bottom or inside view. Fig. 3 is a sectional longitudinal elevation. Fig. 4 is a transverse section.

In the ordinary construction of umbrella and like ribs they are made in a single piece, flattened at the ends, perforated for the insertion of the connecting-wire which unites them with the top notch at the end Where they converge, and the stretchers are in like manner made of single pieces of steel pivoted to the ribs at one end and having the other end pivoted to the runner, which is slidable upon the handle of the umbrella. These ribs being made of steel for elasticity are liable to become rusty at the connecting-point and, not being easily accessible, will often remain damp and eventually rust and destroy the Wires which connect them, making it a diiicult matter to repair without taking the umbrella entirely apart.

In my invention the ribs A may be made of the usual or any suitable form of steel, and the ends are adapted to iit into socket-pieces 2, which are preferably formed of brass or other non-corrodible material. These socketpieces have the usual holes 3, through which the wire may pass to secure them to the top notch, about Which the ends of the ribs converge.

In order to removably secure the end of the rib A to the socket-piece 2, I have in the present case shown the rib of the U-shaped hollow form common to umbrellas,-and the socketpiece is made of similar form having an interior arc larger than the exterior' of the rib, so that the latter may easily slip into the socket-piece. The open edges of the socketpiece are turned inwardly, as shown at 4, forming channels into which the open edges of the rib are slidable, thus causing it to fit snugly into the socket-piece, which is of sufcient length to give a firm bearing.

In order to lock the rib to the socket-piece, I have a perforation 5 made in the curved back of' the rib, and a corresponding latch or tongue 6 is adapted to engage with this perforation. As here shown, this tongue or latch is carried upon an elastic or spring-pressed arm 7 ,which is in the form of a lever fixed at the outer end of the tip and extending Within the curvature of the socket-piece and also within that portion of the rib which entersthe socket-piece, thus leaving the free end of the lever accessible at any time.

In order to insure a perfect lock the socketpiece is cut out or indented at a point in line with the locking-opening in the rib and the tongue, so that the latter may project through the locking-opening of the rib and engage the opening or channel made through the back of the socket-piece. This makes a secure fastening, and it will be seen that any rib may be disengaged from its socket-piece by such movement of the lever-arm as will disengage the tongue from the notch in the rib, allowing the latter to be withdrawn. T

The stretchers by which the umbrella is expanded have their outer ends pivoted to each rib and their inner ends similarly connected to a slidable runner movable on the shaft or stem of the umbrella, and it will be manifest that the connections between the inner ends of these stretchers and the runner can be made by means'of disengageable socketpieces formed in the same manner as above described, so that if a rib becomes broken it and its stretcher can be readily disengaged and a new rib substituted.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patl ent, is-

l, The combination with an umbrella-rib, of

a non-corrodible socket-piece having a channel into which the rib fits, said rib and socket-piece having matching perforations, and a locking member having a tongue or part to enter said perforations and thereby lock the rib to the socket-piece.

2. The combination with umbrella-ribs, and the top notch, of socket-pieces each having one end connected with said notch and having the other end provided with a socket to .receive the rib, said rib and socket-piece each having a perforation to be alined when the rib is in place in the socket, and a latch carried by the socket-piece and having a tongue to enter said alined perforations and thereby lock the socket-piece and rib together.

3. The combination with an umbrella-` rib made U-shaped in cross-section, of a socketpiece, means for connecting one end of the socket-piece with the top notch into which the ribs converge, said rib slidably fitting said socket-piece, and a lever secured within the socket-piece and provided with a tongue, said rib and socket-piece having coincident slots to receive said tongue.

4. The combination of a hollow U-shaped umbrella rib of a correspondingly shaped socket-piece having inturned edges forming a guide into which the end of the rib is slidable, a lever-arm having one end liXed in one end of the socket-piece, said lever extending substantially within the curvature of the socketpiece and rib and having a tongue projecting from it,-a slot made through the rib and a similar coincident slot in the socket piece adapted to receive the tongue when they register therewith and lock the rib to the socketpiece.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES O. LARRABEE. Witnesses:

S. H. NoURsE', D. B. RICHARDS. 

